Jimmy Kimmel’s Monologue

Last night I was getting ready for bed when I noticed a new video on my YouTube subscription list. It was a 13-minute monologue from Jimmy Kimmel Live. I usually don’t watch the monologue clips, but I’m really glad I watched this video.

If you even just watch the first 5 seconds, you can tell that something is different about this particular monologue: Kimmel is almost in tears from the start. He assures the audience up front that even though he’s emotional, the story has a happy ending.

What happens next is just a really beautiful and almost tragic story about the recent birth of Kimmel’s son. I’ll embed the video below if you’d like the full story; I’d highly recommend it. It will remind you what it feels to be human (if you need a reminder, as I do from time to time).

The story ends around the 11-minute mark, but Kimmel continues with an important message that really touched me: “Before 2014, if you were born with congenital heart disease like my son was, there was a good chance you would never be able to get health insurance because you had a preexisting condition.”

He continues: “If your baby is going to die and it doesn’t have to it shouldn’t matter how much money you make,” he said. “No parent should ever have to decide if they can afford to save their child’s life. It just shouldn’t happen. Not here [in America].”

I think this is probably an obvious message to those of you who have kids, but it’s not something I think about often, so it was a really great reminder for me. I pay a lot of money for health insurance each month that I barely use, but it feels right that some of those funds are going to little babies who need the help.

And not just little babies, Jamey. This is a topic (way too) near and dear to my own heart now. Whether it’s a pre-existing condition, a shocking and unforeseen accident / disease, or simply keeping everything together and working as you go through the journey of life, you should never have to decide between receiving care or not based on your bank account. Health is not a commodity to be speculated upon or bargained with but rather a fundamental right. Thank goodness we have healthcare, or I shudder to think where my wife and I would be financially right now…

Jamey, the thing that disturbs me the most is that living north of the border in Canada this has never even been a thing. Medicare, our national health system, is available to everyone, young and old, wealthy or not. Why would anyone support a system where a single parent or family with very little means is left out? Life or death… decided by the coverage you can pay for out of pocket. And all this pre-existing condition non-sense is a reminder of how ridiculous things can get when dealing with insurance companies. It’s like health care in the US is treated like it’s only for a small fraction of the population. This has nothing to do about politics and everything to do with caring for and about each other. Public health care takes the private insurers out of the equation.

Brent: While I think it’s a complicated issue, especially when the US is so entrenched in the current system, I really like Kimmel’s point (and yours) that on a human level, we take care of each other. That’s what makes us human. I’m hoping that politicians on both sides of the aisle agree with that, even if they have different methods for accomplishing that goal.

I’m someone who has rarely had the need to see a healthcare professional, but living in the UK I am grateful for the existence of the NHS. Knowing that should something bad happen, it’ll be dealt with and I don’t have to worry about where the money comes from is reassuring.

I have to admit that I get annoyed at some of the “horror stories” about the NHS that get told in the US given they’re often made up. Sure, it’s not a perfect system and there are some places it could be better, but if you have an actual health care _need_ (rather than something you’d just like), you’ll get it and not have to worry about how you’re going to pay for it.

I couldn’t agree more with ALL of the above. Also a Canadian, and VERY grateful for our healthcare system on so many levels it would bore you if I got into them.
But the other area to consider (which I hadn’t until talking with my cousin who resides in the US) is that health coverage/cost even affect the healthy. My cousin had her 3rd child in hospital and he was healthy with no complications. They didn’t qualify/couldn’t afford health coverage at the time and after their 3 days in hospital they had a $14,000 bill! I have had 3 children in Canada, my cost was $0.

As a Service member and a government employee who sees the funding we spend on so many other, less important, items I find it unconscionable that we continue to have this debate over healthcare…every single person, regardless of socioeconomic condition or any other factor should have safe, reliable, healthcare for themselves and their family.